George cole



G. COLE. MUSIGAL TOP.

(No Modem Patented Apr. 8, 1890.

UNITED STATES PATENT rrron.

GEORGE COLE, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

MUSICAL TOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,368, dated April 8, 1890. Application filed May 16, 1889. Serial No. 311,038. (No model.) Patented in England October 31, 1888, No. 15,717.

To call whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE COLE, toy manufacturer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, of 13 and 15 Finsbury Street, in the city of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Musical Tops, (for which I have received Letters Patent in Great Britain, No. 15,717, dated October 31, 1888, in conjunction with one Frederick Jewell, I being the sole inventor,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is, by means of a simple device and at a slight additional cost, to render musical tops capable of producing a variety of changes in the selection of notes, forming musical chords or combinations at the will of the performer.

For this purpose, and as heretofore proposed, I form the top hollow, or with a cavity therein, and I introduce into such cavity a plate carrying several vibrating reeds, so as to form musical chords or combinations, and I pierce the top above the reed-plate with a number of vertical holes. I form in the sides of the top below the reed-plates several horizontal holes, channels, or conduits, preferably arranged at a tangent, but they might traverse the top radially from the vertical axis thereof, so that in the revolution of the top a current or currents of air will be drawn in at the upper holes and will pass through the reed slots, thus vibrating the reeds, and will thence pass out by the horizontal holes or conduits, and

thus produce a musical sound during the revolution of the top. Now, according to the present invention I arrange beneath the reedplate a loose plate or disk formed of paper,

wood, metal, or other suitable material of the necessary degree of lightness and slotted or perforated in manner according to the effect desired to be produced, and I cause this loose slotted disk to be normally held in contact with the reed-plate by means of a'spring or equivalent device, and I preferably form the paper or other disk with vanes projecting vertically therefrom for the purpose of retarding the rotary motion of the loose disk at the times desired, as hereinafter explained. The loose slotted disk is so arranged in relation to the reed-plate that by a sudden vertical movement given to the top itself (in some cases while the top is spinning and in other cases by the act of spinning the top) such loose slotted disk may be caused momentarily to move away from and out of contact with the reed-plate. hen aided by the vertical vanes upon such loose disk, the momentum or rotary motion thereof will be slightly retarded, but without materially checking the momentum of the top, thus changing the position of its slots in relation to those of the reed-plate, so that upon its returning to its normal position in contact with the reed-plate a different set or combination of reeds will be brought into action, thus changing the musical chord or sounds.

In order that the said invention may be more clearly understood and readily carried into effect, I will proceed, aided by the ac companying drawings, more fully to describe the same.

Figure l is a vertical section of a musical captive peg-top having my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 represents a plan thereof. Fig. 3 is an elevation, and Fig. 4 is a plan thereof with the crown removed. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively an edge view andaplan of the loose disk separately. Fig. 7 is a sectional edge View of a modification of the loose disk, separately; and Fig. 8 is a similar view illustrating a further modification in the construction of the loose disk.

In all the figures of the drawings like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, which representa captive musical peg-top, a represents the body of the top, which, according to the drawing, is assumed to be formed of boxwood, but which may be formed of other kinds of wood or of metal, and 7) represents the crown of the top, which is preferably formed of metal. The body Ct of the top is formed with a cavity orchamber a therein, in which is fitted the reed-plate c, carrying a number of vibrating reeds c, placed over slots c arranged radially around the axis of the top and tuned to produce different notes. The crown Z2 of the top and the reed-plate c are fixed in position, preferably by means of a central pin e,screwing into the body a of the top and formed with a shoulder or enlargement 6, bearing upon a washer e interposed between it and the crown Z), by which means the parts are firmly bound together; or the crown b and reed-plate 0 might be otherwise secured to the body a of the top.

Upon the upper part of the pin e is swiveled a bail 6 to which is fixed one end of the spinning-string e, as is usual in this class of tops, and such bail e is held in place by means of the enlarged head e of the pin 6. The crown b, which serves as a guard or proteotor to the reeds, is formed with a number of vertical holes 3) therethrough in order to admit a current or currents of air to the reeds c, and such crown b is so proportioned and arranged as to leave a small air space or chamber a between its under side and the reed-plate c. A number of horizontal holes, conduits, or channels a are formed through the sides of the body a of the topv and lead from the cavity or chamber a, beneath thereed-plate 0, through the body a of the top to the outside thereof, so that in the revolution of the top a current of air will be induced, as hereinafter explained. These holes, conduits, or channels a are preferably arranged at a tangent to the vertical axis of the top, but they .might be caused to radiate therefrom.

Beneath the reed-plate cis arranged a loose plate or. disk d, formed of paper,wood, metal, or other suitable material of the necessary degree of lightness, but preferably of paper, as represented in the figures, to which reference is now had, and it is provided with a central hole (2, through which passes the pin 6, which is capable of freely turning therein at the times desired. This loose disk d is formed with a number of slots or perforations d therein, arranged according to the effect desired to be produced, and it is provided with several vanes or blades d projecting vertically and downwardly from the face and radiating from the center or axis thereof for the purpose of retarding the rotary motion of the disk at the times desired, as hereinafter explained.

Beneath the loose disk d, and mounted with capability of freely turning and rising and falling upon the pin 6, is a weight or follower g, and this weight is normally forced upward by means of a coiled spring 71, taking an abutment at its lower end against the body of the top, a loose washer f being interposed between the loose disk d and weight or follower g in order to prevent friction as much as possible. By these means the loose disk dis normally held in contact with the reed-plate c, and thus acts to close or stop such of. the slots 0 of the reed-plate c as do not for the time being coincide with the slots d of the loose disk d.

Then the top is set in motion in the ordinary manner, a current of air will be drawn in through the holes 6 in the crown Z). It

will then'pass through such of the slots 0 of the reed-plate c as are not obstructed by the loose disk cl,vibrating the reeds c in its passage and into the cavity or chamber a, beneath the reed-plate c, and will finally be drawn out through the holes, conduits, or channels a in the body a. This position of the parts will give effect to one musical combination of notes; but in order to bring about a change therein the top, which is usually held suspended by the string 6 while spinning, should be jerked or have a sudden vertical movement or a suddenly-arrested vertical movement given thereto, whereby the weight or follower Q will, by reason of its inertia or momentum, according to the manner in which the required movement is given to the top, overcome and compress the spring h and allow the loose disk cl momentarily to move away from and out of contact with the reed-plate c. When aided by the vertical vanes 01 offering an extended surface to the current or currents of air passing through the top, the rotary momentum of the loose disk d will be slightly retarded, but without appreciably checking the momentum of the top, thus changing the positions of its slots (Z in relation to those 0 of the reedplate 0, so that upon the spring h again exert ing its influence and returning the loose disk d to its normal position in contact with the reed-plate c a different set or combination of reeds will be broughtinto action, thus changing the musical cord or combination. By

these means a succession of musical changes or combinations may be brought about without the necessity for respinning the top and without checking or materially checking its momentum, thus enabling the performer to produce most surprising and pleasing effects.

In the modification represented at Fig. 7 the disk d and connected parts are formed of metal or other rigid material, partly forming in itself a weight, and upon the upper surface of the disk cl is cemented a film of paper or other suitable material (1*, which is slotted to correspond with the disk (1 and forms a suitable packing between it and the reed-plate c.

In the modified form of disk represented at Fig. 8 the disk cl and connected parts are formed of paper or other similar light material, and a central boss of metal or other suitable material, is cemented or otherwise fixed to the under side of such disk 01, and partly forms the weight necessary to compress the spring 72.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention,

and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. A musical captive peg-top provided with a reed-plate formed with a number of slots fitted with vibrating reeds, a central spindle 2. A musical captive peg-top provided with a reed-p1ate formed with a number of slots] the spring and disk, and suitable air inlet fitted with vibrating reeds, a central spindle and exit openings, substantially as and for or axis, a loose slot-ted disk revoluble on the the purpose set forth.

latter, adapted to close some of the reed-slots, GEORGE COLE. 5 leaving others open, a spring coiled around Witnesses:

the spindle below the disk, a loose weight or N. M. WHITE,

follower on the spindle, interposed between JOHN D. VENN. 

